10 Best Single Serve Coffee Maker Reviews

Welcome to our 10 best single serve coffee maker reviews – we have looked at a ton of single cup coffee machines and have managed (just) to narrow them down to our favorite 10 models.

We have tried to feature machines suited to all needs and budgets, so you will find some of the more well known big brands side-by-side with some lesser well known names that often give you more bang for your buck.

We have also included machines with a variety of features, such as pod coffee machines as well as ground coffee makers, programmable coffee makers and plenty more.

Are you ready for that perfect cup of Joe? Then sit back and check out our 10 best single serve coffee maker reviews.

✅ In a Hurry? You can see a side-by-side comparison of prices and ratings on This Special Page, or you can read on to see what we think about these coffee makers (Paid link).

Featured Coffee Machines

Our 10 best single serve coffee maker reviews includes models that are not only feature packed and value for money, but also make a superb cup of Joe.

In fact, you can read the many real customer reviews yourself by clicking the links below.

Here is the list of single cup coffee machines we have featured on this page.
(Contains paid links)

1. Keurig K250 Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker
[Full Details]
2. Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio 2 by De’Longhi America
[Full Details]
3. Bunn MCU Single Cup Home Coffee Brewer
[Full Details]
4. Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine
[Full Details]
5. Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve System
[Full Details]
6. Gourmia GCM5100 One Touch Multi Capsule Coffee Machine
[Full Details]
7. Chulux Coffee Maker Machine
[Full Details]
8. Technivorm Moccamaster Cup-One
[Full Details]
9. Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single Serve Coffee Maker
[Full Details]
10. Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
[Full Details]

✅ Don’t forget, if you’d rather jump straight to a side-by-side comparison of prices and ratings you will find it on This Special Page, or you can read on for our look at the best single serve coffee maker reviews (Paid link).

Keurig K250 Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker

Keurig have become one of the biggest names in home coffee brewing these days, since they introduced their first coffee brewers for home use in the mid noughties.

Since then their popular K-Cup pods have been the catalyst behind the popularity of single serve coffee makers, revolutionizing the way we prepare and enjoy our favorite cup.

The Keurig K250 is the latest incarnation of their flagship home brewing system which has a wealth of settings to help you customize your coffee to your liking.

These settings are accessed via the black and white touchscreen where you can choose from 4 cup sizes and 3 carafe sizes and alter the strength of your beverage.

The reservoir is large enough to brew at least 4 cups of coffee, and the removable drip tray is not only convenient for cleaning, but also allows you to fit a travel mug under the brewer.

Keurig claim that there are over 400 variety of K-Cup pods to choose from, from over 75 brands including Starbucks, Lavazza and McCafe to name a few.

The bar has certainly been set high with the K250, which continues Keurig’s tradition of providing a great tasting range of coffee varieties that can be prepared in no more than 1 hassle-free minute.

✅ Why not check out our more in-depth Keurig K250 Single Serve Pod Coffee Maker Review? Or if you’re convinced already you can check current pricing and see more pictures and reviews (Paid link).

Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio 2 by De’Longhi America

Nescafé’s Dolce Gusto coffee machines have been around since 2006, so they are certainly not novices when it comes to home brewing systems.

Their latest offering is the Dolce Gusto Genio 2, which is manufactured by De’Longhi America with a stylish silver and black finish.

The Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio 2 features a toggle stick on the top which is used to choose from the 8 available brew sizes up to a 12oz cup.

Unlike most other home coffee makers the Genio 2 actually has a hot and cold setting for the water too. This is because Nescafé include in their range of beverage pods a number of iced coffee and tea drinks. Fancy an iced cappuccino? The Genio 2 has got you covered.

Whilst they can’t match the K-Cup pods for the sheer number of varieties, the Dolce Gusto range boasts an impressive selection of speciality coffehouse beverages that will please any coffee aficionado.

The generous 45oz water reservoir is large enough to make 5 medium sized cups, and the removable drip tray is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

This all ads up to make the Dolce Gusto Genio 2 just about the most convenient way to impress your friends with some bold tasting speciality artisan coffees that you can prepare at home in no time.

✅ Want to see a full review of the Genio 2? Read ours here. Or you can see just how impressed people are and check the latest offers on the Amazon website (Paid link).

Bunn MCU Single Cup Home Coffee Brewer

Bunn, or Bunn-o-Matic to give them their full title, probably aren’t the first company you think of when it comes to coffee.

However, chances are that if you like coffee you will have drank a cup made from a Bunn coffee machine on more than one occasion – because Bunn are the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial coffee machines.

Their home coffee maker offering, the Bunn MCU Single Cup Home Coffee Brewer, has been around since 2012. Evidence to us that this company assumes the old mantra – ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.

What folks tend to like about the Bunn MCU is its versatility. Yes it’s compatible with the popular K-Cup pods of which there are many varieties, but you can also use fresh coffee grounds and even tea bags & loose tea too.

Another feature of this nice little coffee maker is its pulse brew option. This allows the machine to extract a stronger and bolder flavor from the pod, although this does increase brewing time.

You will find the Bunn MCU is more slimline than other models on the market. This is largely due to it not having a water reservoir. This means you do have to fill it with the desired amount of water (it can make cups of 4 – 14oz) each time you use it.

The Bunn MCU Single Cup Home Coffee Brewer has certainly stood the test of time better than machines made by other companies. Perhaps Bunn simply don’t think they can improve on it.

✅ Do K-Cup pods really taste better when brewed with the Bunn in pulse mode? Plenty of buyers seem to think so. See For Yourself in the many buyer reviews, and check the latest deals too (Paid link).

Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine

While Nespresso have been making coffee machines for quite a long time, their Vertuoline system was only launched in 2014 and takes home coffee brewing technology to a new level.

The Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine is their latest offering from the Vertuoline range, which was devised to appeal to the larger cup loving North American market and uses Nespresso single serve capsules (which are similar to K-Cup pods).

Nespresso have developed what they call their ‘Centrifusion extraction technology’, which refers to how the coffee is extracted from the capsule.

Instead of using a pressurized pump system like other machines, the Nespresso Vertuo spins the capsule up to 7000 times a minute blending the ground coffee within with hot water.

For those who don’t like having to mess about with settings each time they make a cup, the Vertuo is perfect. Each capsule has a barcode printed around the rim which, when scanned by the machine after you insert it, tells the machine what coffee you are making so it can adjust the settings accordingly.

However, those who like to customize their drink themselves may find this ‘done for you’ approach a touch constraining.

Another down side reported by many customers is the fact you have to buy the capsules from Nespresso themselves, and they are not cheap either.

That said they do have a selection of 12 coffee and 4 espresso capsules to choose from, and most people admit that they probably taste better that any other capsules/pods on the market.

The Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine, along with its centrifusion extraction system does have a very premium feel to it, and this is reflected in the price of the capsules. However, you do get 12 capsules thrown in when you buy the machine along with their Aeroccino 3 milk frother too.

✅ Does the Nespresso Vertuo top our 10 Best Single Serve Coffee Maker Reviews? See What Others Think and check the latest deals too (Paid link).

Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve System

The Ninja Coffee Bar is the first pod-free offering in our selection, and will appeal to those who like the freedom to use whatever brand of coffee grounds they want in a convenient single serve machine.

You get 4 brew sizes to choose from – regular cup (9.5oz), XL cup (11.5oz), travel mug (14oz) and XL multi serve (18oz) which can be used with the 3 main brew types – Classic Brew, Rich Brew and Over Ice Brew.

The Over Ice Brew allows you to make the perfect iced coffee, you just need your cup or mug filled with ice first.

The machine will then pour a concentrated amount of hot coffee into the container, with the resulting melted ice providing just the right amount of extra water for an iced coffee made to perfection.

There are 2 more additional brew types available, but these do not allow you to alter the brew size. These are Speciality Brew (4oz) and Cafe Forte (8oz). These more concentrated brew types are intended to be used to create your own blends, such as making a mocha or latte.

The Ninja also includes a milk frother which swings out from the side of the machine, and can be used to froth up a cup of cold or warm milk. This adds to the versatility of the machine in enabling you to create your own customized blends using layers of milk, coffee and froth.

If this all sounds like more work than the pod machines we have already looked at, then you would be right. However, owners of the Ninja Coffee Bar tend to agree that the extra work delivers better tasting coffee every time.

✅ Ready to unleash the Barista Ninja in you? Click Here For Pricing and see what other customers think of the Ninja (Paid link).

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Retailers frequently sell these machines on special offers, and you can see up to date price offerings on this side-by-side comparison page and get more information.

Have we spilt the beans on the best single serve coffee maker reviews? Read on to get the lowdown on the rest of the machines that made our top 10 list.

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Gourmia GCM5100 One Touch Multi Capsule Coffee Machine

The Gourmia GCM5100 is a sleek and stylish pod coffee and espresso combo machine, boasting compatibility with both K-Cup and Nespresso pods.

Bear in mind though that it only takes the Nespresso Originalline pods, not the Vertuoline capsules used in the machine we looked at earlier.

Nevertheless, that still gives you a super wide variety of pods to choose from, and switching between K-Cup and Nespresso pods is easy too.

The unit comes with 2 cartridges, or Smart Carts – 1 for K-Cup and 1 for Nespresso pods. With the correct cartridge inserted you simply place your pod into the cartridge and the so called ‘Barista Brain’ of the Gourmia will do the rest.

The unit comes with a removable drip tray and can accommodate a travel mug under the nozzle quite comfortably. The water reservoir is 40oz, which means you should easily get 3 cups of coffee before you need to refill.

The Gourmia GCM5100 also boasts 19 bars of coffee extraction. Simply translated, the more bars of pressure a machine has the stronger the extraction of flavor from the pod – giving you a bolder cup of coffee.

For cappuccino or latte lovers, the unit has a built in frother system which folds down on one side of the machine and allows you to create some perfectly frothed warm or cold milk.

With simplistic controls to adjust the size and temperature of your brew, the Gourmia GCM5100 is the perfect pod brewing system for people looking for the maximum variety of coffees with minimum fuss.

✅ Looking for the ultimate in convenience and bold flavors? See More Pictures of the super compact and stylish Gourmia and see current deals (Paid link).

Chulux Coffee Maker Machine

They say great things come in small packages, and we certainly think that is true of the Chulux Coffee maker.

This super compact coffee machine is available in a wide variety of colors, some of which are very bright and bold and will add a touch of color to any kitchen.

The next thing you might notice about the Chulux is the price. At less than $50 it is a seriously great bargain if you’re looking for a coffee maker on a budget. However, how well does it actually work?

The Chulux is designed to be used with K-Cup pods and has a very simplistic set of controls. You simply pour in the required amount of water (there is no reservoir), insert the K-Cup, turn the dial and press a button, and you’re done.

OK, so there is no way to alter the temperature, but coffee does come come out nice and hot.

You don’t have a cup size selector either – you just fill your cup with water and then pour it from your cup into the machine. The water you put in is the amount that will come out every time.

If you’re on a tight budget and don’t need a coffee maker with all the fancy bells and whistles, the Chulux coffee machine should be right up your street. And thanks to its compact size, it is perfect for any kitchen with limited space, student accommodation or even on the road in an RV!

✅ See current deals on the Chulux Coffee Maker – the coffee machine that’s small on size and price but big on taste (Paid link).

Technivorm Moccamaster Cup-One

The Technivorm Moccamaster Cup-One is another coffee machine with a very simple set of controls, but that is where any similarities with our colorful friend above end.

The Cup-One is a retro styled pod-free coffee machine with a high end price tag (over $200 at time of writing).

For that money you do get a very well built machine that Technivorm claim should last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance, with a 5 year warranty included.

They also claim that the Cup-One machine will brew your cup at the optimal temperature for flavor extraction of between 92°C & 96°C, and in testing it does achieve this with impressive consistency.

The brewing process consists of filling the water tank (no reservoir with this one), placing a cone filter into the brew basket before adding your coffee grounds and then pressing the power button.

It takes about 4 minutes to brew a 10oz cup before the power automatically shuts off, leaving you with a perfectly brewed cup of coffee.

We like the beauty of simplicity you get with this machine, which is complimented with fine craftsmanship and a styling which borrows as much from retro chic as it does from the ethos that form should follow function.

✅ Will one cup be all it takes for the Moccamaster Cup-One to make you fall in love with coffee all over again? See why it made it onto our best single serve coffee maker reviews list right here (Paid links).

Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single Serve Coffee Maker

The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew is another multi use coffee maker, in that it is both compatible with the ubiquitous K-Cup pods as well as your own coffee grounds.

Like Chulux, Hamilton Beach is a brand which offers coffee makers aimed at the budget market – perfect for folks who just want a good coffee machine without any fancy features.

The FlexBrew also has a limited set of controls, which will suit those who simply want to be able to press a button and get a great tasting cup of coffee.

There is no temperature control on this machine, but it does still make a fairly hot brew. There is also no water reservoir – you just pour in the amount of water you want in your cup (up to 14oz) and that is what you will get out.

The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew includes 2 inserts that fit into the top of the machine when you flip it open. The first is designed to accommodate any K-Cup pod, while the second is a brew basket which you can fill with your favorite coffee grounds.

Once you’ve filled up the tank with your desired amount of water and put in either the K-Cup insert or the brew basket with coffee grounds, you simply close the lid and hit the brew button and the FlexBrew will make your cup in 2 to 3 minutes.

If the limited controls that Hamilton Beach offer on this model is a concern you can upgrade to an identical maker with a strength control, and another one with strength control and cup size settings – both of which cost a little more.

All in all the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew is another great budget model which, thanks to the lack of a water reservoir and sleek design, is very compact in size.

✅ Does the Hamswan Single Serve beat the competition? See What Others Think and check the latest deals and offers (Paid link).

Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso and Cappuccino Maker

Our last entry into our 10 best single serve coffee maker reviews comes from a real stalwart of the coffee industry: Mr Coffee.

The Mr Coffee Barista Espresso and Cappuccino Maker (it makes Lattes too), is another machine that has been around since 2012, so they must be doing something right.

As you would expect from the name, the Cafe Barista is designed to make great tasting espresso, cappuccino and latte drinks, so if you just want a basic cup of Joe then perhaps this isn’t for you.

The Cafe Barista comes with a large water tank on the rear, as well as a milk reservoir that sits on the front next to the drip tray. This milk reservoir can be filled with milk and the machine will froth just the right amount for your drink.

After you have finished with the machine, the milk reservoir can be easily removed and stored in the fridge, so you don’t have to worry about wasting milk.

The Mr Coffee Cafe Barista is not a pod coffee machine, but rather uses any ground coffee of your choice (or you can buy coffee beans and grind them yourself).

You then place the grounds into either the single shot or double shot filter, insert this into the machine using the porta-filter handle, choose your drink and milk level and the machine does the rest.

Although the Cafe Barista is one of the more bulky machines we have looked at, if you love your speciality coffees then we are sure you will give this machine pride of place in your kitchen.

✅ Fancy having your very own Barista in your kitchen? Check Current Deals Here on the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista and read some buyer reviews (Paid link).

10 Best Single Serve Coffee Maker Reviews Conclusion

There is no shortage of choice when it comes to shopping for that perfect coffee machine, and we struggled to narrow our selection down to just 10 models.

The ones we have featured here are all great coffee makers. Your final decision will be a personal choice based on your budget, aesthetics, and whether you prefer pods or using coffee grounds (or a combination of both).

Thanks for reading our look at our 10 best single serve coffee maker reviews. You’ve done well to make it to the end, so why not reward yourself with a cup of your favorite coffee?